Faerie
by Shaleiceyy
Summary: Roselyn, a young woman living in Oregon, knows all about Faeries-considering she's being forced to marry their King! Story has MOVED and been REVISED on Fictionpress, titled Arrangement by Shaleice.
1. A Dance

**Chapter I**

**I walked across the rain-splattered asphalt, with a dotted yellow line, the ancient road disappearing as it curved into a bend about a half a-mile down. I held the wicker basket my Nana taught me how to make when I was nine. It was filled to the top with a mixture of rowan berries and heather. I sloshed past the broken fence that separated the road from the dense Oregon forest beyond. I tugged at my jacket nervously, and pulled my hood further over my eyes. I didn't want to see the shadows of the people flitting lithely around me, making sure I didn't lose myself in the endless expanse of foliage. I heard nothing but the pattering of raindrops on the leaves surrounding me (or were they footsteps?), and a faint roaring sound. No, not roaring. It was like laughter bordering the edge of hysterics.**

**Nana and Mom had all but pushed me out the door, reassuring me that I would have the time of my life. I repeatedly tried to tell them that 'the time of my life' was best defined as a day spent at the mall with my friends or better yet at the prom tonight with Allen Schreiber as my date, instead of tromping through the mud in the rain. But they rarely listen to me. Instead they shooed me away with commands such as "Have a good time," and "Don't you dare eat a thing, young lady, or I'll tan your backside!" "Don't fall asleep," and "Don't kiss anyone!" The way the said it, pointing out obvious things, as if they were attempting to bring it to my attention, made me a little suspicious, but I waved it away.**

**The faint laughing noise grew louder, and as I walked a few more steps I saw its source. A creek coursed its way through the far side of a clearing, and dancing around its center were shadows. I heard a series of whispers, and it almost resembled a melody, the shadows keeping time with its tempo. Around the clearing was a ring of wild flowers and mushrooms… a faerie ring.**

**I smashed some of the dark red rowan berries in my hand, and shredded the heather, just like Nana had taught me. I held my hands out, and even though I'd been told what would happen, I was still shocked when a tall, blurry shadow danced over to me and touched my hands. The shadow pushed my hands to my face, and I closed my eyes. The wet rowan-and-heather concoction were smeared over my lids, and rubbed in my ears and lips.**

**I gasped suddenly and my eyes popped open.**

**I was drenched with water, to the delight of many enthusiastic voices. I beheld the owners of the voices with awe. Some were tall and lean, but muscular at the same time, and had long pointed ears and eyebrows that curved upward too far at the ends. Others were much smaller and wore spider webs and they're faces were like those of children, and yet others had the legs of goats and the torsos and heads of men. And in the creek, I saw the bobbing heads of water folk. They were beautiful.**

**I stood in a gathering of Aes Sidhe; The Fae. The whispered melody I heard before was transformed in my ears, and the sound of flutes, bells and drums replaced it. The Faeries danced around, with partners and in friendly circles. A faerie man stood beside me, and blew on me. I immediately felt warm and dry, and realized that it was not raining here, though if I looked beyond the mushrooms and flowers I could see a curtain of water pouring. The faerie man skipped away to join the dance, and I saw that he had been the shadow that had touched my hand. His ears were long and pointed; an Elf. I was bewildered. I glanced around the circle, trying to be inconspicuous. Nana had said that a human staring at anything too long in the company of Fae was considered highly impolite.**

**My eyes were drawn to a row of baskets, and the aroma of food entered my nose. It smelled better than anything I'd ever smelled before. Reluctantly I turned away. I didn't want to be stuck here, which was what would happen if I ate or drank anything from here; I had been warned. Instead, I looked at the dancers. A mask-wearing dancer caught my eye and, laughing, swept me into the dance.**

**I was surprised to find my feet knew the steps, and was even more surprised to find I really wasn't surprised about it at all. It seemed as natural as breathing, nothing strange. For the first time, the sound of mirth escaped my lips and the dread I had felt in coming here was gone, and I spun and stomped and clapped lightheartedly. The scene blurred and the sound of the music moved through my veins in a successful attempt to keep my body swaying to the beat. I didn't notice the moon creeping up higher into the sky, or the crackling fire that had mysteriously conjured in the center of the clearing. All I knew was the happy dancing, circling, round and round…**

**My cheeks where hot, flushed with excitement, and I could literally feel my eyes sparkle with tears of merriment. I would have danced longer, but my legs grew too tired. I dropped out of the circle of dancers, trying to catch my breath. Directly across from me, beyond the dancers, a tall elf leaned against a tree. His skin was a peculiar color, like it was trying to decide whether it wanted to be white or pale lavender. His hair was long and silvery, and he wore a red mask with intricate black designs that covered the upper half of his face, and his eyes were blue and emitted light. It was a feature common among his species, I'd noticed. He was staring at me, and I grew uncomfortable.**

**Suddenly, he looked away from me, turning his attention to a beautiful elf woman who had approached him. She leaned in towards him and he said something to her which I couldn't hear. Her glowing eyes flickered to me as she said something back. I looked away from the pair just in time to see the string of dancers before I was trampled underfoot.**

"**Ahem," I heard a small cough from below, and I looked down to see a short, yellow skinned faerie. "I believe it's time for you to go, Miss; the sun is about to rise. Lorcan! Humph, where is that confounded— Oh! Lorcan, come on, it's time to take Miss Roselyn home." He turned his attention to me. "Of course you will come again tomorrow night,, as the Kings guest. You are such a pretty girl." He smiled proudly at me, and I smiled back, dizzy and confused.**

**The elf, Lorcan, grasped my elbow. "Miss Roselyn," He murmured. He handed me my basket, and led me to the edge of the ring. As soon as I stepped over the necklace of mushrooms and flowers, I was consumed in blackness, and silence. I was about to turn back when I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "Don't look back, Roselyn." Lorcan whispered and gave me a little push to get me walking again. It had stopped raining, but the ground was still swampy. Lorcan helped me along, picking me up every once in a while to carry me across a large puddle. I felt like a burden, but I didn't complain.**

**We made it to the edge of the forest, and I could see the light from the front porch burning brightly, and the sky was turning a lighter shade of blue by the minute. I could faintly make out Lorcan's large frame beside me. "Tomorrow?" He asked me. It took me a moment to understand.**

"**Oh, uh, yeah, I'll come."**

"**I will be back for you at twilight." His voice faded as he spoke; He was leaving.**

"**Hey, wait!" I called. No answer. "Thank you," I said weakly. I wasn't sure if he was still here or not.**

"**Mmm," the distant answer reached me. I smiled and stumbled towards the house. When I was in, I locked the door behind me and glanced at the clock. 5: 47. A light flipped on in the hallway and Nana peered from behind her bedroom door. "Rose, you made it!" She said, sounding a little disappointed.**

"**Well, duh. I wasn't going to stay there forever, Nana." I said, trudging past her to my room. She wished me goodnight and shut her door, and I shut mine.**

**School dragged on like never before. Everything seemed ten times duller that yesterday. Ellie, my best friend, rambled on and on about trivial things. Did she do this everyday? In math, Allen smiled at me as he handed he me tonight's homework. I waited for the butterflies in my stomach to wake up and flutter like crazy, but—nothing. He struck up a conversation, and we talked for a few minutes. I never realized before just how boring he was.**

**I walked the dry road home as a rare sun and clear blue skies shone down on me. I was taken by surprise when I walked through the door and was pounced on by Mom and Nana. They dragged me to the vanity and began fixing me up. Nana pulled a dress from the closet that was thin and white and all but ordered me to put it on. Mom pulled a blue shawl around my shoulders and handed me a basket of roses. "They don't get many of these," she said smiling. She hugged me tightly, and Nana gave me a kiss. Then I was pushed out the door and waved on by an overly eager grandmother.**

**When I reached the woods, I was met by Lorcan. He gazed at Mom and Nana for a moment, and I thought I saw a look of regret cross his pretty face, but it was gone in an instant. "Come on," He said quietly and motioned me into the dense greenery ahead.**

**Once again, I found myself in the bright, joyous ring .There were more faeries dressed in elegant court clothes, and they wove through the crowds with their partners. I found myself searching for someone in particular…**

**An arm hooked through mine and yanked me around. The beautiful woman who had whispered to the elf king last night stood in front of me. I was shocked to see that her mouth was twisted into a look of contempt, marring her lovely features. What had I done to deserve this woman's anger? I broke into a cold sweat.**

**She looked me up and down for a moment and I watched as her frown deepened. "Miss Roselyn, isn't it? Did you bring us an offering?" She asked, sniffing in the baskets direction and wrinkled her nose. "It will do." She said icily and nodded to a small goblin standing near by. "Take it to the King," She ordered. The goblin obligingly removed it from my arm and scurried away.**

**The woman glared at me before speaking again. "I am the Daly D'Këlë, But you shall address me as The Dally It means advisor, that is my position, and that is what you may call me when you so need. I am to introduce you to the court, when it is time. Stay out of trouble until then and we shan't need to speak to each other again." She tilted her head towards me and strode away, disappearing into the crowd.**

**I blinked in confusion. I was always confused when I talked to people here. I felt out of place and yet, somehow, like I belonged. I sighed and tried to distract myself. The table of faerie food caught my attention, and I gradually meandered over to it. What did it hurt to look?**

**There were many strange dishes, and some I could almost recognize. There seemed to be a weird version of a custard, but it rose in the center and it was decorated to look like a complicated model of a ship full of men battling with sea monsters in a stormy sea. It was amazing, and it smelled really, really good…. I moved away before I could give in. There was definitely harm in looking at good food when you couldn't have it. A tap on my shoulder startled me, and I looked up into the face of the elf I had seen last night, the one who had worn the red mask. He did not wear it now, though, and I was exposed to his comely face. He was very tall, about six foot nine, and his brawny form overwhelmed my petite one. He spoke, his voice husky. "Would you dance with me?"**

**The expression on my face must have encouraged him, for he led me into the dance without waiting for an answer. He turned me into the slow dance before speaking again, "What is your name?"**

"**I'm Roselyn. And you are?"**

**He smiled. "Torin. It means 'chief' in the old language."**

"**Ah," I said. "My name means 'rose'. Imagine that."**

**Torin laughed "How old are you, Roselyn?"**

"**Isn't that considered a rude question?"**

"**Not in my culture. We don't age like humans do."**

**I thought about that for a minute. "I'm sixteen. How old are you?"**

"**Twenty."**

"**Hardly. I know how age works among your kind. How old are you really?"**

"**A hundred and ninety-something. I lost track after a hundred and thirty. "**

"**that's not very fair," I mumbled. "You get to live for nearly forever, and I have to die like a good little mortal."**

**I was joking, but he didn't laugh. The dancing grew faster and faster, and the time flew by at abnormal speeds. Just like last night, I didn't pay attention to how quickly the dawn was approaching. Torin finally halted and I came back to my senses. "Let's get something to drink," he said, and pulled me over to the table. He poured a glass of some red liquid, and handed it to me. I stared at the goblet, unsure of how to proceed. "Uh, Torin," I said, shakily, "I, uh, I hate to be rude, but I can't drink this." I glanced at him, and silently gasped. He was very close, his cheek next to mine. "Can't you?" he asked, reaching over to support the goblet that shook in my hand.**

**It took me a second to get a hold of my wits. "No, I can't. I have to go in the morning!" Torin slowly took the goblet from me, and took a sip. He looked thoughtfully at me.**

"**Why? Isn't everything much duller out there, in your world? What's so repelling about staying here, with us? Aren't we far more interesting, more exciting than anything you've ever encountered before? Can't you feel it, the feeling of belonging?" He asked. I looked away, knowing the answers and not wanting to state them.**

"**I have to go," I said, trying to stand.**

"**Roselyn, do you remember when you got lost in the woods when you were young? Yet you made it home. Then you caught pneumonia right after that, but you were fine in a couple days. Or have you noticed how you never really connected with anyone besides your family? Ever thought it strange that your family knew the secret of the existence of the Aes Sidhe?**

"_**I**_** led you home, Roselyn. **_**I**_** healed you. You come from a long line of elf-friends. You were promised to us by your ancestors, you know. So were all the women in your family since they moved us from our Motherland to this country, three hundred years ago. "**

**This was crazy talk. But, then again, hadn't I been raised to believe in faeries?**

"**Your father is one of us, Roselyn: your part elf. You belong here, with us." He said, taking both of my hands, he leaned in, and kissed me.**


	2. Out of Ideas

I opened my eyes, but shut them again hurriedly. The glare of the morning sun was reflecting from the window glass directly into my eyes. I crossed the floor and glanced out into the yard.

"MOTHER!!" I screamed.

I heard a crashing noise and excited shrieks from the kitchen as Nana and Mom dropped what they were doing and bashed down the hall to my room. "What is it? What's wrong?" Nana asked with a knowing smile.

I stared at her; my face was twisted into an angry grimace. I pointed out the window. "What, in all that is holy, is _this_?" I hissed. Mom pushed past Nana and looked out into the yard. A large ring of flowers circled our ancient weeping willow. Violet-colored lanterns hung from its branches and the entire tree was covered in climbing ivy. Three stout, small women with golden hair woven into braids were at work, tying ribbons to the top of a lengthy maypole. Gnomes.

Nana regarded me for a moment. "Aren't you…engaged?"

My eyes felt like they were popping out of my head. "Engaged? _Engaged_?! What on earth are you taking about? I'm sixteen, for crying out loud! I can't be engaged!"

"But He kissed you."

I was confused and angry. I raked my mind for answers. What happened last night? Everything was so fuzzy. There was a man, no, an elf. There was dancing, and food I couldn't have, and….and… pale lips.

'_Roselyn: your part elf_. _You belong here, with us_.'

"Oh dear," I sank back against the wall. "You mean to say…that I…I'm getting married…today?" I whispered, unable to believe what I was saying.

"Oh, no dear, of course not," Nana said quickly. "Tonight is the handfasting—the ceremony that announces the engagement. Ceremonies always take place under a full moon, haven't I told you that a hundred times?"

"Handfasting," I said in a daze. I looked at mom, searching for some expression that would tell me it was a huge joke. Where were the T.V guys that should be jumping out telling me I just got 'Punk'd'? Mom just smiled at me, here eyes burning with pride that stabbed me like a knife. I felt betrayed. Utterly alone in my feelings, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I pushed past them, and rushed down the hall into the bathroom just in time for the first of many tears to spill down my cheek.

When I finished my cry, I turned the water on to hot and let it fill up the tub. As I climbed in, I stole a glance out the small window embedded five and a half above the rim of the tub. The gnome women were hard at work setting up an altar under the willow tree, and Mom and Nana were happily assisting them in setting up beautiful flower laden feast tables. I shivered and sat in the water, letting its warmth loosen my tense muscles.

Alright, I needed to straighten things out. What had I learned in all my years in Nana-school about Fae weddings?

"_So…they just stole them? All those girls?" I asked, astonished._

"_Well, of course dear. Back then, everyone knew about the existence of the Fae. They had their homes protected specially against them. They feared them, because of their magik. They thought they were devils," Nana said flippantly. "They didn't know any better. So the Fae took the prettiest girls who wandered too far out of the protection of their villages, took them to the Hill, and married them."_

"_They had no choice?!" I demanded, shocking myself a little at how upset I was._

"_Calm down, Rose, calm down. The Elves are among the craftiest of the Aes Sidhe. In their laws, it says that the girls would have to bring a gift to the groom, as a sign of agreement to the proposal. It could be either a gift of flowers, honey, even food. So, when a girl would leave the village to pick flowers or go on a picnic, the Fae would take it as the agreement to the unspoken proposal, and take her away."_

So that's how it happened. I thought bitterly of the previous night. Unwittingly, I had accepted Torin as my future fiancée by bringing that basket of roses to the faerie dance. But the memory wasn't over yet:

_"So she was tricked into becoming a bride!" I fumed._

_"Not exactly. There is a period of waiting. After the engagement is announced, they had to wait a year and a day to be officially wed. during that time, the couple courts, and eventually fall in love. A marriage cannot be preformed unless both parties are willing."_

Bingo! A smile spread over my lips. I'd only have to endure this for a year and a day. Heck, I'd be graduated by then, on my way to college. No one, not Nana, not even Torin, could force me into marriage, since I'm definitely not willing. Alright, long term problem solved, what about now? How could I stop this engagement from taking place? I turned my mind over, looking for a loophole, but found none. Once the bride had given her gift, it was final. I doubted I could play sick. Nana would probably drag me out there and make me do it even if I was suffering from a stroke. She had always told me that nothing was more important to her than strong bloodlines. I just never realized the kind of bloodline she had in mind. Mother wouldn't be much help, either. From the look in her eyes today, she confirmed how easily she had bought into Nana's ideas.

I washed my hair and body and pulled the plug. Wrapping the fuzzy blue towel around me, I brushed and blow dried my long dark brown hair. I lathered mousse in my hands and rubbed it in my hair before curling it away from my face with a wide barrel curling iron. I put on some mascara and gloss before entering my now empty bedroom and getting dressed.

When I came down the stairs with my book bag slung over my shoulder, I received frenzied protests from Nana who had paused in her engagement party decorating to get a drink.  
"Young lady, this is SO inappropriate! Today is the bride-to-be's day of total relaxation and freedom from labor, and I most strongly classify school in that category! Plus I have already informed your school that you are sick and cannot attend, at least until tomorrow."

"Nana, going to school and having a sense of normalcy WILL relax me. Sitting here and thinking about tonight is just going to make me more…"

I hesitated. The word _angry_ hovered on my lips. If Nana knew of my opposition to the marriage she would be angry, and possibly make me stay home all day so she could educate me on the joys of married life.

"…more nervous. I want to be presentable tonight, and I won't be able to do that if I'm throwing up, now will I?"

Nana regarded me closely, here eyes narrowing as she peered into mine. I put on my best look of sincerity. She must have bought it, because she stepped aside. "Be home as soon as school lets out, if not sooner. You have things to do to prepare." I sighed with relief and walked past her. As I opened the door, I heard her agitated voice speaking into the phone, "Yes, Mrs. Smidt? It's Mrs.**Eleuther**; I called in earlier about my granddaughter Roselyn Aldis…yes, much better. As a matter of fact, she says she is feeling well enough to attend today—"I shut the door and walked out, being careful not to let the gnomes see me. I didn't want to be questioned again.

I tip-toed down the road as sneakily as possible, right up until I reached the bend in the road and I took on a normal stride. I followed the curve of the road until it pointed directly to the right. It was a perfect "L" shape, if only backwards. The river flowed parallel to the road, but I didn't dare to glance at the water, afraid that maybe an Undine, one of the waterfolk, would be there in its glittery depths, watching me.

I entered the school just as the warning bell rang, and I booked it to my locker. I stopped in my tracks. There, leaning against my locker in all his tousle-haired, muscular glory, was Allen Schreiber. He smiled at me and stood a little taller, moving off my locker so I could get in. I didn't know what to expect, but my stomach was empty of those butterflies. Instead, there was a lurching feeling, like I was going to be sick If I didn't get away right then. But instead, I pasted a smile on my face and forced my feet foreword.

"Allen!" I said in greeting. I turned in my combination and opened my locker, careful not to look into his eyes. I had this feeling that if I did, I was gonna hurl all over his crisp blue-plaid button up.

"Rose," He said helping me take my book bag off my shoulder. "How was you're day yesterday?"

I opened the bag and thrust out my books as quickly as possible. "Fine." I said through a clenched smile. I didn't really want to think about yesterday.

"Good, good. Hey listen, tonight my friends were planning on going to the lake , setting off some fireworks and stuff, and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

I froze. No, no no! This wasn't how it was suppose to happen. I was suppose to wake up this morning look out my window to see a beautiful sunrise, go to school and see him standing at my locker, and I should feel a rush of adrenaline pump through me as I strode up to him, smiled a dazzling smile and feel incredibly elated to hear him say my name and then ask me on a date. I was NOT supposed to be disgusted by the thought that he was only five inches away, and gagging at the sight of his face. I stood and faced him. And then I threw up all over him.

"Aargh!" He yelped, jumping backwards and knocking down a small freshman girl. I recoiled, too, my hands flying up to my mouth.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried, not knowing what else to say.

He helped the girl back up, apologizing before turning to me. "It's okay. Here, you should go see the nurse—" He was interrupted by Ellie, who had probably watched the whole event with shocked horror.

"Rose! Oh my gosh, Rose! Are you okay? She is so sorry, Allen!" She took my shoulders consolingly. "Come on, we have to go get the nurse…" we turned to go, but there was a hand on my arm, stopping me.

"Oh, let me, Ellie." Allen said, and with that, he swept me off to the nurse. I moaned. His presence was making it worse. "Why do you have to be such a good person…?" I mumbled, and he laughed.

"You'll be fine in a minute, I promise." He said confidently. He opened the door for me and followed me into the room. Mrs. Smidt raised her eyebrows at Allen. "Did she do that?" She asked pointedly at his soiled clothing. He nodded, and she picked up the phone, motioning me over to the chair. I sat, and Allen sat next to me. I leaned as far away from him as possible.

"Hello, is this the guardian of Roselyn Aldis? Uh-huh, well, it seems you should have kept her home today. I have to ask you if you would come pick her up? I wouldn't feel right making her walk home, and I can't keep a very sick child at school, I hope you understand. Uh-huh. She'll be just in my office. Uh-huh, bye." Then she dialed Allen's house and asked his mother to bring him an extra pair of clothing and explained the whole embarrassing situation to her.

By the time mom showed up five minutes later, I had thrown up twice more. Allen and I didn't talk much. I think he understood my need to keep my mouth shut.

"Mrs. Aldis," Allen said, standing. She was a little stunned by this gesture, but she smiled back. "I'm Allen Schreiber, ma'am." He said and extended a hand to her. She took it gingerly and nodded.

"Ah yes, Miranda's son. Nice to meet you." Then she turned away from him and helped me to my feet, worry creasing her brow. She waved goodbye to the nurse, and to Allen before exiting the room. Once outside, my chest felt light and I didn't feel sick. I turned to my mother, but she put a finger on her lips and she ushered me to the car.

Once inside I told her what happened. "I swear I'm not ill, but when I saw him I couldn't help it. I was so intensely repulsed that I just…got sick."

Mom looked at me for a moment before bursting out with laughter. She shifted the car into gear, and we pulled out of the parking lot. "Rose, you like this guy, right? Well, you're betrothed now, to a Fae! There is powerful magik in it. The Fae wove this law into that magik that ensure a clean break with any past relationships the bride may have. How else are they to keep their fiancées if there in love with someone else? This is the magik at work." She laughed again, wiping a tear from her eye.

I turned at looked out the window in stony silence. Was this how it was going to be for the rest of my life? What happens if I don't marry Torin? Would this go away? Mom turned into the driveway and pointed.

"Speaking of fiancé's, yours is just over there. He came to call on you this morning and was devastated to find out that you had abandoned him for school."

I looked and saw him. He was standing among the trees that bordered our backyard. He was accompanied by several various faeries, including that elf woman, the Deli, or whatever she called herself. Her face looked a little sour, like she didn't want to be there, in my backyard looking at betrothal ceremony in the making.

I climbed out of the car quickly. "I don't really want to see him right now."

Mom thought she knew why. "Oh go freshen up a bit, honey. I'll distract them for a bit."

I rushed to the bathroom, and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked fine, but the taste in my mouth was unbearable. I brushed my teeth and washed my mouth out with rinse. This was a crazy day. Come to think about it, it was a crazy week. My worst nightmare come to life.

I was going to get engaged. There was no denying it now. I was surrounded in my own home with supernatural beings all wanting me to get married. I was out of ideas.

I don't know how long I was in the bathroom. Hours? Maybe. I was drawn out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I asked feebly.

"Rose, open up and come out." It was Nana. I sighed. She was getting on my nerves today. I opened the door. Nana grasped me arm and led me to my bedroom.

"Your mother told me what happened today. I knew it wasn't a good idea for you to go to school, but I guess we don't have to worry about it anymore. It's time I told you about Elvin marriage, and Torin, your fiancée."  
I think that word had filled its quota for the day.

"Torin, my dear, is a king. He is The King of the Faeries; well, all of the ones here in the U.S, anyway. It has long been our families' custom to present a daughter to the noble race every one hundred years. My Aunt Myrna was the last one to go with them. And her great aunt Deidre before her. In fact, Myrna is still there, I think. But you, you are going to be the queen!" The way she said it was like she was telling you she loved you; her voice was full of pride and…admiration?

She smiled at me fondly, which was a rare thing. " Rose, you're mother fell in love with an elf once… his name was Lorcan, I think. He was the captain of the Kings Army, if I remember correctly…"

Another memory took me.

"_Your father is one of us, Roselyn: You're part elf. You belong here, with us."_

"My father," I said.

"Yes, how did you know? He was very handsome, even for an elf. Alas, after you were born, he had to go back to his people. Elves are not like us. They need their people. Your mother couldn't go with him, because she wasn't called by the king. It was a different king then, Torin's father. He was Deidre's husband."

"What!?" I shouted, my eyes widening. "That makes Torin my…relative!"

"A cousin, yes, but nothing abnormal. Third cousins marry often."

"I don't know anybody," I said.

She ignored me. There was a knock at my door. Without invitation, a tall elegant woman with pointed ears entered my room. It was the Dally. She looked at me, her face composed (with effort, it seemed). "I have been appointed to attend to Miss Roselyn." She said, rather aloofly.

Nana bowed her way out of the room. "Of course you're grace, of course." She breathed, as if unable to believe that she was in the same room with someone so important and magikal. Nana shut the door, and The Dally's cold eyes bore into mine.


	3. Uninvited Guest

The Dally looked me up and down, her glowing blue eyes narrowing with disdain.

"You're disgraceful." She said finally.

I winced. Disgraceful? What I had ever done to the woman to make her dislike me was beyond me. Well, I wasn't about to let her have the last word. I drew myself up to full height, all five foot four of me, and opened my mouth to give her a peace of my mind. "I—"

"Well, that's nothing _I_ can't fix," She interrupted; her voice had a bragging tone to it. She glided over to me and pushed me into my chair. With a flick of her wrist, she had swept my hair off my neck and began braiding sections of it with lightning speed. She didn't look me in the eyes again, which was fine with me. I was already on edge just having her that close.

"Tonight I am to present you," She stated, "You are to wait on the east side of the circle for His Majesty to come to you. He will lead you thrice around the ring, followed by your handmaidens that He has so generously given you as a betrothal gift. You both will then enter it from the west, and proceed to the altar, where your betrothal vows will take place. You must keep focused. It will not do to have the future queen trip over her gown, and it will not go un-gossiped about, even though everyone already knows of your apparent lack of grace and balance."

I had been listening intently to her whole speech, and was stung at the insult. I smacked her hand away from my hair and swiveled to face her. "I have no idea why you're treating me this way, but I won't tolerate you to sit here and sneer at me, and I don't care an ounce who or what you are. Get out of my room, get out of my house, and don't come back in!" I reprimanded. I even pointed to my door for added measure.

But when I looked up at her, I faltered. How could you stay strong when someone looks at you like that? She didn't move; she just smiled smugly at me, goading me.

"Please, continue. Tell me what you think of me. But you won't, will you? Of course not. I scare you, and you are no match for me anyway, in anything, and most certainly not in beauty. You had better learn your place, my Queen," she spat, "and it is not in bossing me about. I only have one ruler, and that is Lord Torin, and not even you, _Your Majesty_, can do anything about it."

With those last stinging remarks, she strode swiftly out the door and shut it none too gently behind her, and all that was left to remind me of her presence was the anger that boiled away inside me. I quickly undid the ridiculous braids and raked my fingers through it, attempting vainly to rid myself of the burning feeling of her hands on my scalp.

I glanced out the window to see the sun setting behind the trees, casting a shadow over the faeries preparing for the hand-fasting. Gazing at the foliage, I recognized the large figure of Lorcan standing amid the brush marking the edge of the forest, speaking to mom. They stood close, brushing their hands together gently as they spoke. Mother had never really talked about men, let alone a father, and I had never had the courage to ask. Was mom lonely for Lorcan?

Not really, I decided. She never seemed unhappy. Furthermore I had been raised in a purely matriarchal family, no male presence required. Almost like a witch cult. I chuckled. Puh-lease. Nana's crazy about that kind of thing. If humans could wield the majik, let me be the one to tell you that Nana would be first in line to get some of it.

Suddenly, the atmosphere below me tensed, and everyone swiveled in the direction of the garden. My eyes automatically followed too, landing at last on Torin, who was turned toward the house, speaking to a slightly taller (was that even _possible_? Torin is nearly 7 feet tall!) man with silver mid-back length hair that hung loosely over his shoulders. He was very broad in the shoulders, shouting to the world that he had enough muscle to just about crush anyone he so desired. He stood completely at ease, his stance that of an aristocrat, and slightly arrogant. He wore a long black leather trench coat, boots, and…gauntlets. Complete with sharp metal spikes on the knuckles. But that wasn't what made me stare. Sprouting from his back was a pair of very large, feathery black wings. Flanking him were two creatures that were so dark in the oncoming night that I could see nothing of their features. Torin and the man-bird were speaking, while Torin glared coldly at him.

Suddenly, my door opened with an urgency that startled me. The Dally was back, and I pleased to see she was a little disheveled.

She stretched a finger towards me and whispered something under her breath. Immediately I felt as if I had been covered with plastic wrap.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted at her, frightened.

"Miss Roselyn, I had to, for your safety! You most likely aren't aware, but we have an uninvited guest. Dante, King of the Undead."

I hardly heard her; as she frantically told me all this, my eyes turned once again to the man. He was staring up at me through the window, smirking at me with a handsome, paper-white face and vivid blood red eyes.


	4. Under the Moon

Everything grew still. All the fae silently stared at him, wide eyed as he stared up at me. I shivered, suddenly glad that there was thick window pane and a wall between us. If I was thinking a bit clearer, I might have realized that it wouldn't have mattered if there was a 20 feet thick sheet of steel separating me from him, it would probably be bulldozed through. It's like that with the fae.

He was beautiful, in a video game sort of way. Seriously. He could've stepped out of one of those games that Ellie's brothers were addicted to. He even processed the same unreal qualities. And I was scared. Really, really scared.

Torin was the one to break the weird moment. Angrily, he waved his hand and sent my blinds crashing down and snapping shut.

The Dally grabbed my shoulder, jerking me roughly around, forcing me out of my stupor. "Step away from there, you fool!" She hissed. "Didn't you hear me? That is Lord Dante!" She searched my face for comprehension, and finding none, she let go of my arm. "Argh! You are so ignorant. However, I shouldn't have expected anything more from you."

I was too distracted to pay attention to her rudeness. "Dante? Who is he? What's he doing here? Why is everyone freaking out?" I wanted to know.

"I told you; the king of the undead, in a manner of speaking. He's treated with intense reverence by most fae because they fear his power. His resides in the Finnish forests with his…creatures. They used to be faeries, but they sold their souls to him for power, but Dante really controls them. He has more majik than Lord Torin, I hate to admit. He's the equivalent of the Greek Hades, actually."

"Creepy." I said. "Why not send him away?"

She laughed at me. "One does not offend the powerful ones, Miss Roselyn."

She paused.

"What else?" I persisted.

It was as if I flipped her mood switch. Immediately she resumed he lofty attitude and huffed "Nothing. Just stay as far away as you can without being too obvious about it, and never go anywhere alone as long as he is here. Now get dressed—you're engagement party is about to start without you. And what have you done to your hair? Insolent child! Sit down!"

She muttered to herself as she put it in some sophisticated knot. Franklym I wasn't too concerned. My mind was literality reeling. Could my life get anymore messed up? I'm engaged to an elf, my family is star-struck by magikal fireflies, and some freaky soul collector shows up on my lawn. Ellie was probably watching an episode of Glee, eating ice cream, and here I was in a room with a raunchy courtier. Well, the only bright sight in this dismal vision was the opportunity of turning Torin down. I didn't have to marry him if I didn't want to, according to Fae law, but even that sunny prospect didn't penetrate the rain cloud of my current situation. That sounded poetic, I chuckled darkly.

"Try smiling, if you can muster the talent. It's only your handfasting," The Dally said as she lined my eyes with liner. "Your face is making your hairstyle look awful."

That did it.

"Give me that," I snapped, snatching the pencil from her claws (haha) and worked on my lids myself. She narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing, allowing me to finish while she lifted a garment I hadn't noticed before from my bed. She unfolded it and held it up for me to see.

OH. MY. GOSH.

"You don't expect me to wear that!" I cried, backing away.

"what's wrong with it?"

"It's a corset dress!"

"Of course it is, you ninny, It's your undergarment. You fit into the real dress without it."

I paled. "I'm not fat."

She smirked. "Every lady of the court wears this to functions such as these. Stop fretting and put it on."

I changed my tactic. "Am I going to be queen?"

She looked at me suspiciously. "Yes…"

"Then I'll be a trendsetter, and my first act as future queen is no corsets. Period."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Don't be ridiculous. Put it on, or I'll do it for you."

Defeated, I shook out of my clothes and let her put it on me, basically, I let her torture me. She laced me up so tight I was gasping for air before she thought my waist was small enough. Then, she pulled on the dress. It was, of course, white, and embroidered with gold along the edges. The dress had a square neckline and a high waist that gathered below my chest, while the skirt fell thick and full all around me. The sleeves were long and billowing. The Dally pinned large dangly pearls on my earlobes and grinned at me, triumphant.

"Well, I guess it is possible to turn an ugly duckling into a swan." She said with satisfaction. Considering who said it, I'll take it compliment.

"Let's go," She said, motioning me to follow her. "Remember what I said about the handfasting process, And Dante. Be careful." she whispered as we walked down the stairs.

Oh yes. The creeper.

Nana met us in the kitchen. She positively shining. Sickening. The Dally and I are probably the only ones opposed to this marriage, I though glumly as Nana hugged me, joyous tears spilling down her withered cheeks.

"You look breathtaking!" She sighed before letting me go.

"Thanks," I said, not meeting her eyes.

"Come on," The Dally said, and opened the back door to the engagement party.

Nana pushed me forward, and The Dally took my arm, leading me out into the masses. I dared not look at them for fear I'd faint like a Hollywood actress, so instead I raised my eyes to the moon that barely skimmed the treetops. My stomach welled up and I was vaguely reminded of seeing Allen leaning on my locker. Was that just this morning? Oh Allen. If you only knew what really went on in my life, would you even talk to me? Well, I thought, he won't anymore, now that I threw up all over his expensive shirt. And Ellie? Let's just say I never invited her to my house for longer that twenty minutes.

Suddenly, the Dally released me, and I started to fall. Oh gosh, no! I squeezed my shut, and felt something grab my hand. I opened my eyes.

I was staring at a dark blue coat. I looked up and saw Torin smiling down at me, his pupil-less eyes glowing brightly. "Roselynn," He murmured.

"hmm?"

He just smiled before gripping my hand tightly and leading me to the center of the circle; the giant weeping willow. As we approached, I saw him glance to his left, at Lord Dante. Dante smirked, and I felt the bad vibes. At the altar, Torin knelt, pulling me with him. On it, I saw a crystal goblet filled with white wine and a rope of 12 scarves tied together.

A very, very old woman stood behind it. She had grayish skin that looked strangely like bark, and long, matted sage green hair. The willow tree spirit. She began to speak, her voice so hoarse and quiet that I didn't hear her at first.

"'Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East.  
Communication of the heart, mind, and body  
Fresh beginnings with the rising of each Sun.  
The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing of silences.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South.  
Warmth of hearth and home  
The heat of the heart's passion  
The light created by both to illuminate the darkest of times.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West.  
The deep commitments of the lake The swift excitement of the river  
The refreshing cleansing of the rain  
The all encompassing passion of the sea.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North  
Firm foundation on which to build  
Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives  
A stable home to which you may always return.'

Now, my lady, raise the goblet."

Everything seemed surreal, and I felt sluggish. I picked up the glass of wine as the willow spirit instructed.

"My Lord." She wheezed.

Torin placed his hands over mine, and the willow tied the scarf around our wrists.

"The scarf's knots symbolize one month, and the final knot that I make to tie you together symbolize a day." Said the willow.

Torin nodded, then tilted the goblet my way, and I took a sip. Then, trembling, I tipped the wine into his mouth.

The willow straitened. "The white wine symbolizes the virginity of the bride. The Lady drinks because it is hers, and My Lord drinks for it might be his. I declare this hand fasting valid for the next year and a day. Let the celebrations begin!"

A thunderous roar sounded form the audience as they cheered and clapped. Celtic dancing music began playing, and everyone joined in the festivities. Except for Torin and I.

We stood. I didn't look at him.

"Roselynn," He said gently, caressing my face, "Please look at me."

I did, reluctantly.

"You look so beautiful tonight." He leaned down, and I realized what he was about to do.

"No!" I cried, pulling away slightly.

He stopped. "What's wrong?"

"What do you think? I don't understand this! Why are we engaged? I don't exactly remember you asking me!"

He shook his head. "I didn't have to ask. You brought me flowers."

I stared at him, speechless.

"Not exactly a most willing bride, is she, brother?" Dante strode up with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Dante," Torin acknowledged stiffly.

Dante didn't seem to notice the ice in Torin's voice. Instead he turned to me. I was reminded how big this guy was. Anyone with eyes could see that this guy was buff, even under all the leather. He was a few inches taller than Torin, and his aura about 100 times darker. He grinned at me, showing me razor sharp canines. He grasped my fingers with his gauntlet-clad hand.

"My lady," he said huskily, gently brushing his lips against my knuckles. "I can see what all the fuss is about; you truly are as lovely as the rumors say." He looked at my eyes, and lowered my hand, not completely letting it go. "You'd best be careful, brother; someone might try to steal her from you." His voice had an edge of meaning.

Torin drew me slightly behind him. "They wouldn't succeed." He answered dangerously.

"No, of course not… congratulations." He cast one last glance at me before turning away, his henchmen with him.

"Stay away from him, Roselyn." Torin warned me, and pulled me out from under the willow tree into the party.

"I need to go inside." I mumbled to him before he could attempt to ask me to dance. He nodded, obliviously disappointed, and planted a chaste kiss on my forehead before I could get away.  
I made it to the backdoor (finally! Waves of faeries kept stopping me to pay respects) and shut it quickly behind me. The kitchen was dark. I sunk to the floor, closing my eyes in relief

"Hello, my Lady."

My eyes snapped open and I gasped. In front of me, lounging in one of the table chairs, was Dante

Frightened, I stood, trying to keep my voice steady. "Hello."

"Hiding from your fiancée, are we?" He smiled, mockingly.

"Uh…no, actually, I just…um…I'm about to go back out—" my voice trembled as I fumbled with the knob. Dante rose from the chair gracefully and swaggered over to me.

"I'm afraid not, your Excellency."

He put his arms on either side of me, locking the door and pushing me back against it, trapping me.

Special thanks to .info/h_ for the handfasting speech given by the Willow spirit. I've based a lot of the customs in this story on wiccan traditions, and it took hours of research to learn about, but it was fun and educational (yay education!). Please, I'd like to hear what you guys think should happen next in the story. It'll help with the writers block and it will help me create a story for you guys.

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed and supported this. You really help motivate a lazy person like me to get it done.


	5. Authors Note 3 9 2011

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

Okay, so this story will be moving to fictionpress dot com in a few weeks with some more chappies! I'm sorry I haven't written in while, but I was having some issues that needed sorting out. BUT NEVER FEAR! This story has not been forgotten! It shall be updated! Also, I'm going to go through and fix some of the minor details and grammar of my previous chapters (and I''ll get a beta to make sure I don't mess up and stay consistant, 'cause I have issues with that….), so I won't be agonizing over it later on. (I'm really a grammar freak. Unfortunatly, it doesn't show, as my stuff has a lot of typos and bad sentences). I will leave these exisisting chappies on fanfiction for you guys, just cuz.

My fictionpress pen name is…duh duh duh duh-

**Shaleice**

Same as it is on here, for easier access.

When I get the chapters posted on fictionpress in the next day or two I'll put up another authors note so you can check it out!

Thanks guys for being so patient with me! I'll start rolling out the chapters here real soon!

Btw, thanks for all the encouraging reviews and messages. You guys keep my muse alive!

Love,

Shaleice

P.S: You guys can also follow me on tumblr!

www dot shaleice dot tumblr dot com


	6. AN 2: How to Find Faerie on ficpress

Hey you guys!

This story is now up on Fictionpress!

It's called _Arrangment_ by **Shaleice**.

You'll notice that Torin's personality has been tweaked, and some scenes have been removed and others added. The bigger changes take place in chapters 3 and 4, and they will be important to the plot, so please read it. The ending of chapter 4 changes entirely . The plot is going in a new direction. Hope you like it!

You get to know Roselyn a bit better through her thoughts, and you get more Torin and Dante in the revised version. YAY!

So please go read it. I will no longer update on this, which is sad, but I gotta make sacrifices.

Love you guys!

-shaleice


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